Ankle-brace for skates.



F. E. BROWN.

ANKLE BRACE FOR SKATES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,1913.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

" A 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F. E. BROWN. ANKLE BRACE FOR SKATES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1913.

1,168,848.. Patented (72111.18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q Vi bmaooes/ Braces for Skates; and I dohereby declare hurrah smarts .ra

FRANK E. BROWN, OF WEBSTER CliTY, IOWA.

ANKLE-BRACE FOR SKATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

.A ncaaoam a July 9, 1 13. Serial No. 773,143.

To all whom it may 00mm; I a Be it known that I, FRANK E. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Webster City, in the county of Hamilton and State. of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inuAnklethe followingto be a full,.clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an ankle brace which is adapted to be placed on skates. Many persons, owing to weakness of the ankles, are

deprivedof the pleasures of skating and the purpose of the invention, therefore, is to relieve the ankle of the skater fromlateral strain without depriving it of the necessary freedom of action. 1 a

A further aim of the invention resides in the application of the attachment to a skate vent-ion will appear from the following detailed description of the invention-and novel features thereof particularly; pointed. out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, thepre- .ferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated, but it is to beunderstood that the constructions shown therein are for the purpose of illustration, only,'and not as defining thelimits of the invention.

a Figure 1 is a side elevation showingthe appl cation-of a brace to a skate. Fig.2 .is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modifiedjform of supporting the ankle brace on a la d-ys skate. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of. the brace and. supportingmeansshown in-f thejdepending portion 30, is an outwardly,

Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a; front elevation] of the heel plate of Fig. 1. F ig.,5 isa plan view tail View in plan, of the heel engaging member separated from its normal abutting 'engagement with the heel ofthe skate, show-v ing the clamping bar positioned in the chan 'neled stem of the heel engaging member,

' *urther objects and advantages of the in--v Fig. .8 isa side elevation, the parts being in the same position as in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a plan, view of the heel engaging member removed from the skate.

The invention comprlses a ,bar having IIlGjLIlSPlVOtGd to the upper end thereof for securing the bar into substantial alinement with the leg of the skater. The lower end of the bar is pivoted at a point above the horizontal plane of the foot plate of theskate,

, thereby permitting an easy natural ankle movement on the part of the skater and at the same time affording a support for the ankle. The lower end of the bar is pivoted to a heel plate, one end of whiclris rigidly secured to the skate. V

. In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Fig. 1, the ankle support is shown w applied to a skate designed to be used on shoes worn by men or boys, and wherein the heel plate 10 of the skate is suitably mounted on the framework by angular lug plates 12. Each of these plates is provided with a horizontal part and a vertical part, the

horizontal partserving, as a support for the heel plate 10, while the vertical parts of the complemental lugs 12, clamp the blade or runner 26 of the skate between them.

These angular lug plates 12 are provided :with offset portions 27, which ofiset portions 27 "form a channel 11 when the lug plates 12 are mounted upon the blade extension28. Within this passage 11 may h I Q itioned the channeled stem 13 of the heel engagingmember ofthe ankle brace, said stem being proyided with a channeled portion 29, as shown in Fig. 9,,to permit the usual skate ad ust ing andclamping bar 15 to fit in the channel 29 and, rotate'therein for the? purpose of operating the usual soleclamps of the. skate.

' The'ankle brace comprises a depending portion 30 having a, suitable aperture 31 formedfitherein in "alinem'ent with the channel 29 ofthe stem 13, which is preferably integral with the depending pororrroa. -3

tion30. Preferably formed integral (with *1 forwardly and upwardly projecting arm 16 which is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7, Stand 9, as having a bearing surface 17-. This arm 16. is designed to be held in position by the w loearipg surface 17 being positioned at point above the horizontal plane of the heel plate of the skate, and terminating at a point in juxtapositionto the forward part'of the heel. of a skate, and at a point .below the ankle joint of the wearer.

Pivotally mounted on theclamping bar is a locking plate 32 having a bearing .sur- 7 "face 33, adapted to engage a face 34 of the depending portion 30 of the heel engaging ankle brace. The heel engaging section 35 of the appliance "is preferably positioned on a plane out of vertical alinement {with the plate engaging face 34, as will be understood from Figs. 5, 7 and 8. This bearing surface'is so shaped that the plate 32 forms a double eccentric,"which can be operated to lockthe bar 15 ateach quarter turn of said a bar. This action of the part 33 of the plate against the face 34 serves not only to tighten and lock the toe and heel clamp in place,-

but also tightens and holds the lower portion of the ankle brace member firmly to the skate and shoe of the wearer, all by one operation 'of turning or pivoting the plate 32 to have the part'33 bear against the face 34. Y

"It will be understood that .the ankle supporting base will be substantially in abutting engagement with the ends of the lugs 12' during the adjustment of the bar 15 and its locking plate 32. I

By reference to Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings, thelocking plate 32 is-shown ready to i adjust the ankle brace and'theto'e clamps,

while in Fig. 1,'the parts have been adjusted and the locking plate 32'turned to one'of its four locking positions. This locking plate may be turned-downwardly, as inFig. 1,-'-

upwardly or ina reverse position to that of Fig. 1, or to the rightor to the left, thereby I quarter turn adjustment of the permitting a lockingpart.

A'bar @18is pivoted'at its'lower end, to the bearing surface1710f the arm '16,;said pivot being shown at 19 in the drawings. To the upper'end of this bar '18 is pivoted suitable means {for engaging the leg of the wearer.

In the drawings, there is shown abroad bearing collar 20, having a wear plate 21 so secured thereto that it will beiposi'tioned at the side ofthe leg of the wearer, and a strap 22' for closing the collar around the leg. This wear plate 21 is pivotedat 23 toithe upperend of bar 18." In Figs.12 and 6, the depending portion 130 "and armfil6, which is designed "more especially for skates whichclamp di rectly to thejheel, is omitted. 1 Inlieu of these parts 30, .16 there is provided a heelgplate 24; f comprising a single piece of metal bent at substantially'right angles, the arm a thereof designed to ;be secured in any suitable" mann r tofthe under side oftheheelfoot plate, while the arm 6 thereof extends outwardly aw y fromthe heel foot plate, In

this construction, the bar is pivoted at 25 to the arm '6 ata point above the horibe clamped'at the rear'end of the skate, said base member being provided with an up wardly and forwardly extended arm which pivotally supports said bar at the sideof the leg whereby thebar may be moved "longitndinally ofth'e skate, said pivotal connection between said .arm and the supporting bar being at a point to one side of the foot of the wearer. and above the heel plate, and

means .to rigidly hold said base member against movement when the skate is clamped .tothe "foot ofthe wearer. I

2. An ankle brace for skaters comprising 'a'heel' engaging member secured to the body of "the skate and 'provided with an {outwardly, forwardly and upwardly extended armterminating above the horizontal plane of the heel plate of a skate and to one side of the heel of the wearer, a supporting bar pivote'd at its lower. end to said arm and near the upper extremity of, said heel plate,

means for encirclingthe leg of the skater pivoted to theupper end of -saidloar, and

means to rigidly ,hold the heel engaging member against movement when the skate is clamped to the foot of the wearer.

3. ankle brace for skaters comprising asupporting bar, ine'ansfpivoted near the upper extremity of said jbar f'or'holding the bar substantially parallel withand toone side of the leg of the skater and a heel engaging member pivotally mounted near the lower extremity of 'thejb'ar, isaidheel memwardly, forwardly and upwardly extended A1 a l b ac for ska er leomp a; supporting bar, meansv pivoted near the upper extremity of said barfor holding-the gber' being clamped betweena clamping j-bar and its supportjon askate, said heel member comp ising base member and' an outbar substantially parallelwiththe'llegfofthe I skater and'at'the side thereof, and a heelv engaging "member near L the lower extremity of the "bar and. s lidably mounted atthe heel ,of askat e, meansto lock said heel engaging membergsai'd heel engaging member comprising a substantially straight base pro vided with an ap'erture for skate clamping II1;8,VL,I1S,' B, depending lug, Land a forwardly and iipwardly extended armconnected to said'base to serve as a pivot tosaid supports bar at the side the heel of the skater;

5. An ankle brace for skaters comprising a supporting bar, means pivoted near the upper extremity of said bar for holding the bar substantially parallel with the leg of the skater, and a heel engaging member pivotally mounted near the lower extremity of the bar and slidably mounted at the heel of a skate, means to lock said heel engaging member, said heel member comprising a substantially straight base, a depending lug to be engaged by clamping means for a skate, a channeled plate retaining member extending from said lug and adapted to be clamped by means on the skate, and a, curved forwardly and upwardly extended arm integral with the heel member and provided w th a bearing surface near its free end for engaging said supporting bar at a point to support the bar at the side of the foot and leg of the wearer.

6. A skate comprising toe and heel clamps, a threaded clamping bar, a locking plate pivoted at one end of said clamping bar and adapted to be operated at each quarter turn of said bar, a heel engaging member comprising a channeled stem to receive said clamping bar, a base provided with a plate engaging face, an arm connected to the base, and leg engaging means pivoted to said arm to permit of movement (Eopies of this patent may be obtained for in a direction longitudinally of the skate heel-clamping member being provided with an elongated stem adapted to receive clamping means, an arm extending outwardly, forwardly and upwardly from said heel clamping member, and a connecting bar pivoted to said arm and to said limb-encircling member.

8. A heel-clamping member for skates comprising heel engaging means, an elongated stem adapted to receive clamping means and an upwardly, outwardly and forwardly extending arm terminating at the side of the foot of the wearer and adapted to pivotally engage means for bracing the ankle.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. BROWN.

Witnesses:

S. S. PIoKLnR, S. W. CLARK.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

